Archibald
Russell becalmed.Oil on
canvas (900 x 630)mm
The painting depicts the Archibald
Russell becalmed somewhere near the equator in
the region known
as the doldrums; a region of calms, fickle winds and often
rain
squalls. The frigate, or man-o-war birds indicate
that land is
not too far off.
A steel four-masted barque of 2,325 tons built by Scott
& Co.,
Greenock in 1905. Her measurements were: length
304.9 ft.,
breadth 43.3 ft., depth 24ft. Built for J.Hardie
& Co., The Archibald
Russell is
best know as a member of the inter-war grain
racers. She was bought by Gustaf Erikson in 1923 for
£5,500, and
proved a good investment by beating
the average time of the grain fleet almost every year
until 1931, and
then making the occasional fast run until World War
II. In 1929
she sailed from Melbourne to Queenstown in 93 days with a
crew of 22,
less than the conventional one man per 100 tons.
During World War
II she was used as a storage hulk in the Humber. She
was handed
back to Erikson in 1947, but efforts to sell her failed
and she was
scrapped at Gateshead in 1949.

This painting is available in
Auckland for
$6000NZ. Shipping not included.